St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-10-20
VOLUME 51---NUMBER 1921.

able men, own real estate here and do
their part towards making our town
the respectable and inviting place it is.
Now we do not propose to discuss
this matter from personal or political
standpoint, but only to raise few
questions that directly bear upon such
transactions as the above in their rela-
ton to the prosperity of ST. Johns
bury. Col. Truman Fletcher has gone
out of business here. He has very lit
tie if any pecuniary interest in town.
1t is well known that he is now one of
the railroad commissioners of the state,
drawing pay at eight dollars day and
all expenses paid, including clerk hire,
with passes over every railroad in the
state. There is no apparent reason for
his action in this coal business. Wheth-
er he saw and acted upon an Opportu-
nifty to pay off an old grudge which he
owed the Ides because Gen. Horace K.
Idea worthy soldier who lost his
health in fighting the rebellion-was
thought by the Legislature to be
more suitable person for quartermaster
general than the said Fletcher; or
whether he remembered that the MEM
bers of both the local coal firms voted
against him at the last election or
whether he saw an opportunity to
make political capital for himself
among a few men here and at Burling-
ton or whether he was actuated with
an honest and disinterested purpose to
benefit some of his fellow citizens in
st. JOhnsbury, are all questions that
are not perhaps pertinent to our in
quiry. The facts are that number of
the strongest monetary institutions in
the place, and number of citizens
who are well able to pay fair price
for their coal, got their winters supply
of coal at or very near cost and at a
reduction from current rates. On the
other hand one of the local coal firms
has practically lost his seasons trade
and the other has been seriously ham,
pered and has met with considerable
loss in trade and consequent profits.
The Caledonian has been for some
months past advocating with unremit-
ting earnestness the ACCESSIBILITY of
sustaining our own industries in the
state and in the town. We believe it
to be the duty of every citizen to do
everything in his power to sustain our
own industries and our own business
men. We see no signs in any quarter
that our local business men are meet
ing with undue success or reaping I'M
due profits. On general principles, is
the man who tries to divert the bust
ness of the town in which he lives into
other channels public benefactOr
Is it worthy the ambition of a great
man to undertake to ruin the business
of two worthy neighbors who have no
political ambition, who receive no
eight dollars day from the state
treasury, who have no railroad passes,
but who are endeavoring to get an
honest living in an honest way Is it
any wonder that so many of our best
young men leave a town which gives
countenance to such underhanded and
suicidal proceedings9
One word more : Somebody may
jump up and say the CaledOnian's OK
has been gOred. Not at all he has
not even been thrust at. The Ides
went in with this same Fletcher to
establish a paper to run out the Gale
DOMAIN. There is no love lost between
any of them and this paper. But for
all that the Calcdonan can see when
the best interests of the place are inn
perlled and it knows what is decent
treatment even to an enemy.